Last year at this time I was very annoyed because rather than being able to relish in the American Idol spotlight for a little longer after she was crowned the Season 6 Miss American Idol, Jordin Sparks had to watch things fizzle around her. She, sadly, has gone down in history as the only Miss American Idol to have her first single miss out on being a #1 smash on the Billboard HOT 100.
This Is My Now debuted and peaked in the top 20 before quickly disappearing from the chart. The same was true for the first release from the Season 6 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-up, Blake Lewis. He even peaked one spot ahead of Jordin, but also dropped quickly. So here we are a year later - do we have a better understanding of what happened last year? The times, they are a changin. In the first 5 Seasons the Miss American Idol winning singles made it to the top based on sales of a physical CD single.
I must quickly take this moment to review those Billboard #1 Hits:
Season One: Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This
Season Two: Clay Aiken - This Is The Night
Season Three: Fantasia - I Believe
Season Four: Carrie Underwood - Inside Your Heaven
Season Five: Taylor Hicks - Do I Make You Proud
But in Season Six the music industry went through a change and physical CD singles were no longer being released. Jordin and Blake ended up being cheated because theirs were the first singles to only be available as an MP3. It's become the norm to buy music in the MP3 format a year later, but it was still kinda new and different for the American Idol music buying fans in 2007. They were used to buying a physical CD single in years past, but they were deprived of that option.
So we've made it to Season Seven and the American Idol fans have been conditioned to now satisfy their music needs with MP3s. We're past the learning curve and the music by the Season 7 Miss American Idol, David Cook has blown up BIG on this week's Billboard HOT 100. He debuted at #3 with The Time Of My Life which sold 236,000 downloads. While that's just a little shy of being a #1 chart topper, he makes up for it with TEN more songs also making it to the HOT 100! His chart success marks the most placements on the list since the Beatles charted 14 songs on the Hot 100 in the week of April 11, 1964. David Cook is almost as big as the BEATLES!!!
The next highest song for David Cook, Dream Big, charts at #15. Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, David Archuleta also did pretty well this week with three songs hitting the Billboard HOT 100. His cover of Imagine has landed at #36.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
And the Season 7 American Idol is....
Here we are: Two hours of fun and entertainment until the crowning of the Season 7 Miss American Idol. It all started out with a preview of this year's American Idol tour as the top 12 finalists were reunited in a high energy performance of the top 5 smash from 1970 by Rare Earth, Get Ready. Then those other 10 finalists were dismissed so the fans could see the Davids come together for a great duet. You wouldn't think that their distinct styles would blend well together, but it turned out to be quite harmonious.
Mike Myers has officially crossed the line into being totally weird as his shameless promotion for the Love Guru was just plain creepy. Thankfully it was followed a very cool performance with Seal and this year's second runner up, Syesha Mercado of his hit Waiting For You. As we have come to expect, Syesha looked and sounded great. Then, on the other side of the coin, we were forced to endure Jason Castro mumble his way through Hallelujah again. Honestly, once was enough.
The top 6 girls: Kristy Lee Cook, Amanda Overmyer, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, Brooke White and Syesha Mercado joined together to bring to life an exciting Donna Summer medley including She Works Hard For The Money and the #1 smash, Hot Stuff. It was fun to see the Queen of Disco herself take the stage and sing her latest release before launching into the Oscar winning Best Original Song, Last Dance.
At the beginning of this season when we first saw the top 24, it is quite likely that many fans selected Carly Smithson and Michael Johns as front-runners to make it here to the finals. It was quite a surprise when they both got sent home way too early. For a a nice little consolation prize these two very talented singers had the chance to sing a duet in front of this huge audience. They gave a bouncy big band arrangement of a song by the Box Tops that spent four weeks at #1 in 1967, The Letter. Just a taste of what could have been....
The top 6 guys: David Hernandez, Chikezie, Michael Johns, Jason Castro and our top finalists, David Cook and David Archuleta joined forces to give us a Bryan Adams medley consisting of Summer of '69 and his #1 hit Heaven. This Canadian rocker came out to sing his latest jam and then wrapped things up with his hit Somebody.
This may come as a surprise to you, but one of the most recognized hits from ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man, was never released as a single and therefore, it never hit the Billboard HOT 100. Even so, it was still a nice sizzling opportunity for David Cook to rock out with the bearded guitar heroes. Much less sizzling was Brooke White sitting barefoot and strumming her guitar with Graham Nash. While the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young top 20 hit from 1970, Teach Your Children is a classic song, this duet was just as drab as everything else Brooke gave us all season. The show needed a huge injection of youthful exuberance after this and no one does it better than THE JONAHS BROTHERS!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! They were right there singing their hit SOS!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
One Republic recently peaked at #2 earlier this year with their smooth synth pop song, Apologize. It was the perfect contemporary hit to match with David Archuleta's pure, sweet, sincere and earnest voice. The show is more than half over and there have been no appearances by any former American Idols! How can that be? Just when we thought Ruben's (Season 2 Miss American Idol) song last night was all we were going to get, the reigning queen, Season 6 Miss American Jordin Sparks came out on stage in glittering high heels and a spangled gold dress to sing her newest single, One Step At A Time. Her first single, Tattoo peaked at #8 and her latest, No Air is still in the the top 5 after peaking at #3. Who says the Idols aren't as successful as they used to be!
As if Jordin wasn't enough, the Idol alumni doesn't get any better than the Supreme Miss American Idol from Season Four, Carrie Underwood. She looked absolutely stunning as she belted out her new single, Last Name. Her stylist deserves an award. I mean seriously, her hair, that dress, her legs, her shoes - FLAWLESS! Carrie is just plain HOT! And the song is the catchiest thing ever. It started out, "hey cutie where are you from?" then in turned into - Oh NO what have I done!
The top 12 gave us one last medley of George Michael hits including, Faith, Father Figure and Freedom 90 before George graced the stage to sing his #1 smash that Carrie Underwood did so well on Idol Gives Back, Praying For Time.
Two hours of great entertainment flew by and it was finally time to give the Season 7 Miss American Idol crown to one of the Davids. The envelope was opened and David Archuleta had to step aside and give congratulations to this years winner - DAVID COOK! The rocker was brought to tears as he thanked his brother for encouraging him to give this a shot. He made it all the way to this night of having the glitter fall around him as he sang The Time Of My Life.
Mike Myers has officially crossed the line into being totally weird as his shameless promotion for the Love Guru was just plain creepy. Thankfully it was followed a very cool performance with Seal and this year's second runner up, Syesha Mercado of his hit Waiting For You. As we have come to expect, Syesha looked and sounded great. Then, on the other side of the coin, we were forced to endure Jason Castro mumble his way through Hallelujah again. Honestly, once was enough.
The top 6 girls: Kristy Lee Cook, Amanda Overmyer, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, Brooke White and Syesha Mercado joined together to bring to life an exciting Donna Summer medley including She Works Hard For The Money and the #1 smash, Hot Stuff. It was fun to see the Queen of Disco herself take the stage and sing her latest release before launching into the Oscar winning Best Original Song, Last Dance.
At the beginning of this season when we first saw the top 24, it is quite likely that many fans selected Carly Smithson and Michael Johns as front-runners to make it here to the finals. It was quite a surprise when they both got sent home way too early. For a a nice little consolation prize these two very talented singers had the chance to sing a duet in front of this huge audience. They gave a bouncy big band arrangement of a song by the Box Tops that spent four weeks at #1 in 1967, The Letter. Just a taste of what could have been....
The top 6 guys: David Hernandez, Chikezie, Michael Johns, Jason Castro and our top finalists, David Cook and David Archuleta joined forces to give us a Bryan Adams medley consisting of Summer of '69 and his #1 hit Heaven. This Canadian rocker came out to sing his latest jam and then wrapped things up with his hit Somebody.
This may come as a surprise to you, but one of the most recognized hits from ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man, was never released as a single and therefore, it never hit the Billboard HOT 100. Even so, it was still a nice sizzling opportunity for David Cook to rock out with the bearded guitar heroes. Much less sizzling was Brooke White sitting barefoot and strumming her guitar with Graham Nash. While the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young top 20 hit from 1970, Teach Your Children is a classic song, this duet was just as drab as everything else Brooke gave us all season. The show needed a huge injection of youthful exuberance after this and no one does it better than THE JONAHS BROTHERS!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! They were right there singing their hit SOS!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
One Republic recently peaked at #2 earlier this year with their smooth synth pop song, Apologize. It was the perfect contemporary hit to match with David Archuleta's pure, sweet, sincere and earnest voice. The show is more than half over and there have been no appearances by any former American Idols! How can that be? Just when we thought Ruben's (Season 2 Miss American Idol) song last night was all we were going to get, the reigning queen, Season 6 Miss American Jordin Sparks came out on stage in glittering high heels and a spangled gold dress to sing her newest single, One Step At A Time. Her first single, Tattoo peaked at #8 and her latest, No Air is still in the the top 5 after peaking at #3. Who says the Idols aren't as successful as they used to be!
As if Jordin wasn't enough, the Idol alumni doesn't get any better than the Supreme Miss American Idol from Season Four, Carrie Underwood. She looked absolutely stunning as she belted out her new single, Last Name. Her stylist deserves an award. I mean seriously, her hair, that dress, her legs, her shoes - FLAWLESS! Carrie is just plain HOT! And the song is the catchiest thing ever. It started out, "hey cutie where are you from?" then in turned into - Oh NO what have I done!
The top 12 gave us one last medley of George Michael hits including, Faith, Father Figure and Freedom 90 before George graced the stage to sing his #1 smash that Carrie Underwood did so well on Idol Gives Back, Praying For Time.
Two hours of great entertainment flew by and it was finally time to give the Season 7 Miss American Idol crown to one of the Davids. The envelope was opened and David Archuleta had to step aside and give congratulations to this years winner - DAVID COOK! The rocker was brought to tears as he thanked his brother for encouraging him to give this a shot. He made it all the way to this night of having the glitter fall around him as he sang The Time Of My Life.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Top 2 - FINAL match - up!
Here we are in the Season 7 final match-up between the two Davids - both of whom have never landed in the bottom two all season long. They are coming in undefeated and it's a very close competition. It's also the first time since season 2 with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard that there has been two guys going head to head in the finals. The Davids will face off in three rounds:
In round one the song selection was made by accomplished music producer, Clive Davis. For David Cook, Clive chose the song that spent two weeks at #1 in 1987 by U2, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. It's a good song, but it didn't really challenge Mr. Cook to show his range. The performance ended up being kinda straightforward and predictable. For David Archuleta, Clive chose the smash hit that has been a chart topper for Elton John twice. The first time in 1974 it peaked at #2, but in 1992 when he teamed up with George Michael, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me went all the way to #1. This song allowed Mr. Archuleta to do what he does best - start out the ballad slow and build to a dramatic climax.
For round two, the Davids had to interpret a brand new original song. Rather than both needing to sing the same song, they had the option of choosing one that they felt they could connect with best. Mr. Cook went for a song called Dream Big and he performed it with a very pop radio friendly rock arrangement that was a perfect match for his style. It was catchy and could easily become a hit. Mr. Archuleta selected something called In This Moment. It is the classic American Idol anthem with inspirational lyrics and big notes for him to belt out. He once again stayed true to showcasing his sweet innocent softness at the beginning and then bringing it home with the most sincere and earnest power notes at the end.
Round three was their last chance to present themselves to the voting audience and they could select any song of their own choice. David Cook took a risk, yet played it safe at the same time. He took a risk in that he chose a completely unfamiliar song that was never a big hit. He played it safe in that it was a very standard modern rock hit that didn't challenge him at all. The World I Know by Collective Soul sounded very good in Mr. Cook's hands, but it was kinda anti-climactic. David Archuleta had a slightly different risk/safe selection. His risk was in selecting a song that we have already heard him perform - John Lennon's #3 smash from 1971, Imagine. But it was safe, because it was a crowd pleaser the first time around and he easily went in for the knock-out giving an exceptional crowd pleaser again.
Over all, it was a great night of entertainment and a good competition. Neither of the David's went out on a limb and served us any big surprises. It would have been nice to hear David Cook work his magic by breathing new life into an old song one more time, but he didn't. Because of that my prediction for the Season 7 Miss American Idol Crown is going to have to be David Archuleta. He simply shined with his smooth pure vocals and he oozed that captivating sincere and earnest personality.
Hope you didn't turn off the TV too quickly or you would have missed the Season 2 Miss American Idol, Ruben Studdard come back to the center of the American Idol stage and perform Celebrate Me Home. The Velvet Teddy Bear sounded great.
In round one the song selection was made by accomplished music producer, Clive Davis. For David Cook, Clive chose the song that spent two weeks at #1 in 1987 by U2, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. It's a good song, but it didn't really challenge Mr. Cook to show his range. The performance ended up being kinda straightforward and predictable. For David Archuleta, Clive chose the smash hit that has been a chart topper for Elton John twice. The first time in 1974 it peaked at #2, but in 1992 when he teamed up with George Michael, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me went all the way to #1. This song allowed Mr. Archuleta to do what he does best - start out the ballad slow and build to a dramatic climax.
For round two, the Davids had to interpret a brand new original song. Rather than both needing to sing the same song, they had the option of choosing one that they felt they could connect with best. Mr. Cook went for a song called Dream Big and he performed it with a very pop radio friendly rock arrangement that was a perfect match for his style. It was catchy and could easily become a hit. Mr. Archuleta selected something called In This Moment. It is the classic American Idol anthem with inspirational lyrics and big notes for him to belt out. He once again stayed true to showcasing his sweet innocent softness at the beginning and then bringing it home with the most sincere and earnest power notes at the end.
Round three was their last chance to present themselves to the voting audience and they could select any song of their own choice. David Cook took a risk, yet played it safe at the same time. He took a risk in that he chose a completely unfamiliar song that was never a big hit. He played it safe in that it was a very standard modern rock hit that didn't challenge him at all. The World I Know by Collective Soul sounded very good in Mr. Cook's hands, but it was kinda anti-climactic. David Archuleta had a slightly different risk/safe selection. His risk was in selecting a song that we have already heard him perform - John Lennon's #3 smash from 1971, Imagine. But it was safe, because it was a crowd pleaser the first time around and he easily went in for the knock-out giving an exceptional crowd pleaser again.
Over all, it was a great night of entertainment and a good competition. Neither of the David's went out on a limb and served us any big surprises. It would have been nice to hear David Cook work his magic by breathing new life into an old song one more time, but he didn't. Because of that my prediction for the Season 7 Miss American Idol Crown is going to have to be David Archuleta. He simply shined with his smooth pure vocals and he oozed that captivating sincere and earnest personality.
Hope you didn't turn off the TV too quickly or you would have missed the Season 2 Miss American Idol, Ruben Studdard come back to the center of the American Idol stage and perform Celebrate Me Home. The Velvet Teddy Bear sounded great.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Who is going to the Finals?
McFadden and Whitehead hit the top 20 in 1979 with their one and only hit song, the disco jam Ain't No Stopping Us Now. This was another song that allowed the top three finalists to strut their stuff around the stage and do some fun and festive finger snapping disco choreography. This is the kind of footage that will follow rocker David Cook for the rest of his life - the serious rocker dancing grapevines and jazz squares!!!!
Season Three Miss American Idol winner Fantasia had a huge smash hit last year with When I See U. She came back to the American Idol stage tonight to perform another smoking hot stone groove jam from the same album. She reminded viewers what a true original she is as she slammed the floor with her hot moves and passionate vocals on the song Bore Me. There was nothing boring about it - even her hair was dyed a vibrant cherry red.
The emotional strings were pulled as Ryan introduced footage of each of the top three finalists, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado and David Cook, trips to their home towns. They were showered with love and support from their friends, families and thousands of fans. They couldn't help but be brought to tears as they were confronted with the reality of being in the middle of their musical dreams coming true. Surely the viewers at home were overwhelmed by the emotions as well.
Unfortunately, the journey had to come to an end for Syesha Mercado as she was revealed as the lowest vote getter of the week. She sang If I Ain't Got You one last time demonstrating that while she's out of the running, she's still a very talented young woman.
I got my prediction correct this week and I'm looking forward to a very exciting finals next week between the Davids!
Season Three Miss American Idol winner Fantasia had a huge smash hit last year with When I See U. She came back to the American Idol stage tonight to perform another smoking hot stone groove jam from the same album. She reminded viewers what a true original she is as she slammed the floor with her hot moves and passionate vocals on the song Bore Me. There was nothing boring about it - even her hair was dyed a vibrant cherry red.
The emotional strings were pulled as Ryan introduced footage of each of the top three finalists, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado and David Cook, trips to their home towns. They were showered with love and support from their friends, families and thousands of fans. They couldn't help but be brought to tears as they were confronted with the reality of being in the middle of their musical dreams coming true. Surely the viewers at home were overwhelmed by the emotions as well.
Unfortunately, the journey had to come to an end for Syesha Mercado as she was revealed as the lowest vote getter of the week. She sang If I Ain't Got You one last time demonstrating that while she's out of the running, she's still a very talented young woman.
I got my prediction correct this week and I'm looking forward to a very exciting finals next week between the Davids!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Top 3 sing three each
It's all about threes tonight: The top three finalists sing three songs each. One personally selected by one of the three judges, one of their own choosing, and one selected by the American Idol producers.
Paula Abdul specially picked Billy Joel's And So It Goes for David Archuleta. This song barely cracked the top 40 in 1990, but David was able to work his magic and make it ooze with even more earnest sincerity than ever. For his own choice he decided to demonstrate that he is 17 and capable of singing a current smash hit on the charts this week. Chris Brown is the biggest hitmaker of the year so far and his jam With You recently peaked at #2. It was unexpected to see and hear David do something so contemporary, but with a little more practice he will show that he can do it convincingly. His final song, selected by the producers, brought him back to singing a heartfelt ballad. In 1980 Dan Fogelberg spent two weeks at #2 with Longer. This song is beautiful and sweet and all the things that David can bring to life very easily. It wasn't a big dramatic showstopper, but it was definitely enough to please his adoring fans.
Randy Jackson wanted to hear Syesha Mercado sing a song that hit #4 in 2004, Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. This is a very straightforward choice that she was able to perform easily. Her vocals were perfect and she looked stunning in a glamorous gold full length gown. For her own choice, Syesha showed the all-around stage performer that she wants to be. Once again looking fabulous she added fun choreography to her rendition of the 1958 top 10 hit by Peggy Lee, Fever. It may be an old song, but Syesha made it vibrant and festive. The producers apparently wanted to pull out a much more contemporary festive vibe by having her perform the Happy Feet soundtrack toe tapper Hit Me Up. This third song allowed her to showcase a full range of styles in one evening of performances.
For six weeks in 1972, Roberta Flack stayed at #1 with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. It's a subtle sensitive ballad that made Simon Cowell curious as to what David Cook could do with it. He did not disappoint with his strongest vocals so far in the competition and another powerful arrangement elevating the song to a new and exciting level. For his own choice, David played it very safe by selecting the top 20 hit from 2005 by Switchfoot, Dare You To Move. The song didn't allow him to do anything unexpected or special. The same can be said for the producers choice of the #1 smash by Aerosmith from 1998, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. David performed with an orchestra and it sounded good, but it do anything exceptional from the original. He's set a pretty high bar for himself, so when he does good it doesn't really feel good enough.
I am very pleased that all three finalists proved they are very worthy of making it this far in the competition. They are all very clearly passionate about music and are excited and happy about having this opportunity of a lifetime. It will be very sad that one of them must be cheated out of making it to the finals. It is very hard to predict, so I am just going to base it on what has happened so far all season. While Syesha Mercado has put in very good performances each week, she has still ended up in the bottom three consistently. It just seems to make sense that now that we are down to only three she will be sent home since neither of the Davids has ever been in the bottom three.
Paula Abdul specially picked Billy Joel's And So It Goes for David Archuleta. This song barely cracked the top 40 in 1990, but David was able to work his magic and make it ooze with even more earnest sincerity than ever. For his own choice he decided to demonstrate that he is 17 and capable of singing a current smash hit on the charts this week. Chris Brown is the biggest hitmaker of the year so far and his jam With You recently peaked at #2. It was unexpected to see and hear David do something so contemporary, but with a little more practice he will show that he can do it convincingly. His final song, selected by the producers, brought him back to singing a heartfelt ballad. In 1980 Dan Fogelberg spent two weeks at #2 with Longer. This song is beautiful and sweet and all the things that David can bring to life very easily. It wasn't a big dramatic showstopper, but it was definitely enough to please his adoring fans.
Randy Jackson wanted to hear Syesha Mercado sing a song that hit #4 in 2004, Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. This is a very straightforward choice that she was able to perform easily. Her vocals were perfect and she looked stunning in a glamorous gold full length gown. For her own choice, Syesha showed the all-around stage performer that she wants to be. Once again looking fabulous she added fun choreography to her rendition of the 1958 top 10 hit by Peggy Lee, Fever. It may be an old song, but Syesha made it vibrant and festive. The producers apparently wanted to pull out a much more contemporary festive vibe by having her perform the Happy Feet soundtrack toe tapper Hit Me Up. This third song allowed her to showcase a full range of styles in one evening of performances.
For six weeks in 1972, Roberta Flack stayed at #1 with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. It's a subtle sensitive ballad that made Simon Cowell curious as to what David Cook could do with it. He did not disappoint with his strongest vocals so far in the competition and another powerful arrangement elevating the song to a new and exciting level. For his own choice, David played it very safe by selecting the top 20 hit from 2005 by Switchfoot, Dare You To Move. The song didn't allow him to do anything unexpected or special. The same can be said for the producers choice of the #1 smash by Aerosmith from 1998, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. David performed with an orchestra and it sounded good, but it do anything exceptional from the original. He's set a pretty high bar for himself, so when he does good it doesn't really feel good enough.
I am very pleased that all three finalists proved they are very worthy of making it this far in the competition. They are all very clearly passionate about music and are excited and happy about having this opportunity of a lifetime. It will be very sad that one of them must be cheated out of making it to the finals. It is very hard to predict, so I am just going to base it on what has happened so far all season. While Syesha Mercado has put in very good performances each week, she has still ended up in the bottom three consistently. It just seems to make sense that now that we are down to only three she will be sent home since neither of the Davids has ever been in the bottom three.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Results - Rock - n - Roll Hall of Fame
After weeks of lackluster group performances, it took the music of an amazing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee to get some energy out of the final four finalists. Steely Dan hit #11 in 1973 with Reeling In The Years and it was actually enjoyable to see the kids bring it to the American Idol stage. The vocals were strong, but it was the well placed choreography that kept the performance fun and entertaining. It was nice to see they could sing and dance at the same time.
With only four finalists remaining it didn't take long for Ryan to reveal that both of the Davids are safely coming back next week in the top 3 while Syesha is once again left hanging in the bottom two. Of course, the good news is that she is there with Jason Castro.
Last year as Blake Lewis glided his way into the finals, he was often compared to Maroon 5, the 2004 Grammy winners for Best New Artist. A full year after hitting #1 with their smash, Makes Me Wonder, they are back on the American Idol stage cranking out another single from their hit album, If I Never See Your Face Again. Too bad we can't say the same thing for Blake's singles. His album, Audio Day Dream, is really good and you should give it a listen if you haven't yet.
Season Four will always go down in history as the year that the Supreme Miss American, Carrie Underwood, was crowned. Think back to 2005 and try and remember who she was standing next to on that stage. It doesn't really matter, because she clearly had no competition, but that season's rocker, Bo Bice managed to get enough votes each week to make the finals. While his first album failed to give him any hits, he's trying again by coming back to the American Idol stage to sing the first single from his second album, Witness. We wish him luck.
There's no reason to drag out the misery any longer. Syesha has survived the bottom two for another week and is joining the Davids in the TOP 3! Jason Castro is finally the lowest vote getter of the week and he is finally going home. He was clearly just as relieved as we are during his incredibly weak performance of I Shot The Sheriff. It's like he's happy he doesn't have to work anymore.
I made only one prediction this week and I am thrilled that I got it right. It's going to be an exciting top 3 next week. Will the Davids have an easy path to the finals or will Syesha knock one of them out with another showstopping performance?
With only four finalists remaining it didn't take long for Ryan to reveal that both of the Davids are safely coming back next week in the top 3 while Syesha is once again left hanging in the bottom two. Of course, the good news is that she is there with Jason Castro.
Last year as Blake Lewis glided his way into the finals, he was often compared to Maroon 5, the 2004 Grammy winners for Best New Artist. A full year after hitting #1 with their smash, Makes Me Wonder, they are back on the American Idol stage cranking out another single from their hit album, If I Never See Your Face Again. Too bad we can't say the same thing for Blake's singles. His album, Audio Day Dream, is really good and you should give it a listen if you haven't yet.
Season Four will always go down in history as the year that the Supreme Miss American, Carrie Underwood, was crowned. Think back to 2005 and try and remember who she was standing next to on that stage. It doesn't really matter, because she clearly had no competition, but that season's rocker, Bo Bice managed to get enough votes each week to make the finals. While his first album failed to give him any hits, he's trying again by coming back to the American Idol stage to sing the first single from his second album, Witness. We wish him luck.
There's no reason to drag out the misery any longer. Syesha has survived the bottom two for another week and is joining the Davids in the TOP 3! Jason Castro is finally the lowest vote getter of the week and he is finally going home. He was clearly just as relieved as we are during his incredibly weak performance of I Shot The Sheriff. It's like he's happy he doesn't have to work anymore.
I made only one prediction this week and I am thrilled that I got it right. It's going to be an exciting top 3 next week. Will the Davids have an easy path to the finals or will Syesha knock one of them out with another showstopping performance?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Final Four - Rock - n - Roll Hall of Fame
Tonight the remaining four finalists had the opportunity to select songs from artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
David Cook opened the show with his take on the very first song Duran Duran charted with in 1983, Hungry Like The Wolf. Their era defining original went all the way to #3, but David didn't seem very sure about what he wanted to with it. He didn't add anything extra special to this performance so it was pretty straightforward while still strong. For his second song David decided to leave his mark on the Who's classic anthem Baba O'reilly (commonly referred to as Teenage Wasteland). This classic rock album track is legendary so David took on a big challenge when he decided to play with the arrangement. He did a very good job stripping it down and re-working it to the kind of teenage angst that is being sung about on current rock radio. He lived up to the Final Four expectations.
Syesha Mercado is proving once again that she is not one to shy away from a fight. As the only girl left in the competition she stepped up with her entire arsenal ready for action. Her first weapon of choice was the Tina Turner staple Proud Mary. While it peaked at #4 in 1971, this song is the showstopper every time Tina performs live. Syesha looked and sounded amazing as she recreated the incredibly athletic dance choreography. It was quite a work out, but it was worth it. Syesha's line of attack came from another direction for her second song. She selected Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come which cracked the top 40 in 1965. This time she stood center stage in a glamorous long gown and let her emotional vocals out shine all of the boys. She is getting better and better each week proving that it is no mistake that she is still here.
Jason Castro quit trying weeks ago. He's still all wide-eyed and surprised that he made it this far and he's finally starting to be afraid because he has no other tricks up his sleeve or hidden in his dreads. He took what should have been the perfect match for him, Eric Clapton's 1974 #1 smash, I Shot The Sheriff, and squandered yet another opportunity. He seemed completely disconnected and off of the beat. For his second song, he made another selection that should have been a breeze for him, The Byrd's 1965 #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man, but his lack of commitment showed through again. Jason does not put any time into rehearsing the songs and it is evident in how he forgets the lyrics. His vocals are completely bland and unimpressive and he shows no passion or energy in the performance.
Thankfully we have David Archuleta, who is still taking the competition seriously. He chose to perform one of the most beloved songs of all time, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Two generations of fans brought this song to the top 10. It hit #4 in 1961 and then it came back again 25 years later to hit #9 in 1986. David's pure vocals reminded the audience of this treasured song. But that was just a small taste of what David had to present. For his second song, David pushed every button that he has to push. He sat center stage to sing Love Me Tender. Elvis kept this song at #1 for 5 weeks in 1956 and David used everything he had to relate this love song to his fans. His sweet voice pleaded to them to love him tender and when he made eye contact there was no resisting him.
This Final Four is pretty much a joke. It's clear that Jason Castro does not belong there. The other three finalists are genuinely putting their hearts and efforts into this and he clearly doesn't even care. Keeping my fingers crossed for no surprises, my prediction is that Jason will finally be sent packing tomorrow night.
David Cook opened the show with his take on the very first song Duran Duran charted with in 1983, Hungry Like The Wolf. Their era defining original went all the way to #3, but David didn't seem very sure about what he wanted to with it. He didn't add anything extra special to this performance so it was pretty straightforward while still strong. For his second song David decided to leave his mark on the Who's classic anthem Baba O'reilly (commonly referred to as Teenage Wasteland). This classic rock album track is legendary so David took on a big challenge when he decided to play with the arrangement. He did a very good job stripping it down and re-working it to the kind of teenage angst that is being sung about on current rock radio. He lived up to the Final Four expectations.
Syesha Mercado is proving once again that she is not one to shy away from a fight. As the only girl left in the competition she stepped up with her entire arsenal ready for action. Her first weapon of choice was the Tina Turner staple Proud Mary. While it peaked at #4 in 1971, this song is the showstopper every time Tina performs live. Syesha looked and sounded amazing as she recreated the incredibly athletic dance choreography. It was quite a work out, but it was worth it. Syesha's line of attack came from another direction for her second song. She selected Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come which cracked the top 40 in 1965. This time she stood center stage in a glamorous long gown and let her emotional vocals out shine all of the boys. She is getting better and better each week proving that it is no mistake that she is still here.
Jason Castro quit trying weeks ago. He's still all wide-eyed and surprised that he made it this far and he's finally starting to be afraid because he has no other tricks up his sleeve or hidden in his dreads. He took what should have been the perfect match for him, Eric Clapton's 1974 #1 smash, I Shot The Sheriff, and squandered yet another opportunity. He seemed completely disconnected and off of the beat. For his second song, he made another selection that should have been a breeze for him, The Byrd's 1965 #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man, but his lack of commitment showed through again. Jason does not put any time into rehearsing the songs and it is evident in how he forgets the lyrics. His vocals are completely bland and unimpressive and he shows no passion or energy in the performance.
Thankfully we have David Archuleta, who is still taking the competition seriously. He chose to perform one of the most beloved songs of all time, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Two generations of fans brought this song to the top 10. It hit #4 in 1961 and then it came back again 25 years later to hit #9 in 1986. David's pure vocals reminded the audience of this treasured song. But that was just a small taste of what David had to present. For his second song, David pushed every button that he has to push. He sat center stage to sing Love Me Tender. Elvis kept this song at #1 for 5 weeks in 1956 and David used everything he had to relate this love song to his fans. His sweet voice pleaded to them to love him tender and when he made eye contact there was no resisting him.
This Final Four is pretty much a joke. It's clear that Jason Castro does not belong there. The other three finalists are genuinely putting their hearts and efforts into this and he clearly doesn't even care. Keeping my fingers crossed for no surprises, my prediction is that Jason will finally be sent packing tomorrow night.
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